9 Days
/ 8 Nights Choquequirao + Machupicchu Trek:
Day 1: Cusco- Cachora- Chiquiska
Early in the morning we will depart on a panoramic journey for about 4 hours to the village of Cachora, where we meet our mules and porters. To begin with, we will ascend to the first pass of the journey, Abra de Kapuliyoq (2800 m), which will offer us our first amazing views of the illustrious Apurimac River Valley along with the immense snow capped peaks towering above. After another 3 hours of walking downhill, we will finally come to our final stop of the day, and our first campsite, at Chiquiska (1800 m).
Day 2: Chiquiska- Choquequirao
After breakfast, we will continue along on our descent, enjoying some truly spectacular views of the Apurimac Canyon until we arrive to the famous Apurimac River Bridge. From there, we climb for a long, hard 5 hours, up to our destination, the beautiful archaeological ruins of Choquequirao. First, we will visit the already restored areas, and then we will explore the newly discovered sites. After lunch we will have the option of having a visit to the Casa Cascada ("Waterfall house"), about 300m below Choquequirao. We will spend the afternoon entertaining ourselves by making an Andean classic: Pachamanca (which is a meal made by making a make-shift oven out of earth itself). From the highest point, we will marvel at the magnificent sunset over the Apurimac Canyon.
Day 3: Choquequirao- Pinchaunuyuc
After one final visit to the mystical ruins of Choquequirao and an early lunch, we will again begin to walk, this time a slight ascent to a viewpoint where we'll get some shots of the entire ruins along with the valley below. It will be all downhill to our next, and final stop of the day: the archaeological remains of Pinchaunuyoc, where we'll set up camp for the night in a nice, thick part of the jungle where we will be surrounded by thick vegetation
Day 4: Pinchaunuyuc- Maizal
After a short guided tour and walk-around of the ruins, we will continue down the hill towards Rio Blanco ("White River"), where we can refresh ourselves and enjoy our lunches in an ideal setting. In the afternoon we will need to take on a 4 hour ascent to our next campsite in Maizal where we will cook up dinner and spend the night in a beautiful location beneath the star filled sky
Day 5: Maizal-Yanama
After a comfortable wake up and a hearty breakfast we will continue the ascent that we began the previous day, our goal being the Victoria Pass. After lunch we continue our descent, passing several abandoned silver mines along the way, until we reach the small, typical community, Yanama where we set up camp for the night.
Day 6: Yanama- Totora
The route today leads us into the midst of the high and mighty Andean peaks, all the way to the Yanama Pass, where we will rest for a while as we enjoy a light lunch. From this point on, we will go straight downhill, for about 6 hours, into the sub tropical jungle known as the Ceja de Selva or, the "Eyebrow of the Jungle". The climate will be changing before our eyes as we make our way into thicker and thicker forest, towards our days destination, the beautifully situated, Totora.
Day 7: Totora - Playa
On this day, the route will lead us deeper and deeper into the jungle, coming to the place known as Muñay Poco to have our lunch for the day. Afterwards we will continue on to our final destination of the day, Playa, the "Beach". We will find a suitable spot to set up our campground for the night. It will be a lovely night, enjoying a delicious dinner in such gorgeous surroundings
Day 8: Playa- Llactapata- Aguas Calientes
Waking up in the tropical forest, we will have a nice, healthy meal before departing, first to cross the river, passing by some coffee plantations, until a spectacular lookout point, where we will get our first views of the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu from an exceptional, and unique, angle. We will pass by Llactapata, with its stunning varieties of tropical birds and wildflowers and even orchids. There are even some archaeological remains that we can explore as well. One final two-hour descent brings us to the train station at Hydroelectric, where we will board a train that will take us the last 30 minute ride to Aguas Calientes.
Day 9: Aguas Calientes- Machupicchu- Cusco
Today is dedicated to only visiting the famous archaeological wonder, Machupicchu. We will partake in a guided tour of the ruins, followed by a bit of time to explore on your own. In the afternoon, you will need to make your way down the mountain to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco.
Our Services Include:
1.
Transfer from the airport or bus terminal in
Cusco to your hotel
2. Information and maps related to the trek
3. Transfer from your hotel in Cusco to the
trailhead in Cachora
4. Entrance fees to Choquequirao and Machu
Picchu
5. Professional, bilingual Tour Guide
6. All food during the trek (8D, 8A, 8C) with
Vegetarian Option if you let us know when
reserving
7. Horse wranglers, mules and porters to carry
the camping equipment and food
8. First aid kits, blood pressure gauge, oxygen
tanks
9. Biodegradable Bathroom supplies
10. Camping equipment (tents, mattress, cooking
equipment)
11. Bus ticket for transport up and down from
Aguas Calientes / Machupicchu / Aguas Calientes
12. Backpacker train ticket from Aguas Calientes
back to Cusco
13. Arrival transfer from the train station to
hotel in Cusco
14. Departing transfer from your hotel to the
airport or bus terminal
Our Service Does Not Include:
1.
Breakfast the Day 1, Dinner on the Day 8,
Breakfast or Lunch on Day 9
2. Sleeping bag
Discounts Offered:
Discount of USD $12.00 dollars with
International Student Identification Card (ISIC
Card)
Discount of USD $12.00 for students between 8
and 15 years (send us a copy of the passport)
Discount of USD $24.00 dollars for children
under 07 years (send us a copy of the passport)
Additional Options for Rent:
An
extra porter and mule (up to 25 kilos)- your
personal belongings and or equipment USD $220.00
Therm-a-rest inflatable mattress (Matra) - USD
$45.00 for the entire trip
Down
sleeping bag- USD $45.00 for the entire trip
Synthetic sleeping bag $ 32.00 dollars for the
entire trip
Top
quality backpack- USD $45.00 dollars
Return
to Cusco in a Vistadome upgraded train (first
class)- USD $40.00 dollars per person
Note:
Any changes in prices by the authorities who run the entrance to the archaeological sites are reported in advance.
